Cherry Blossoms, Japan

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Cherry Blossoms, Japan

Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita

In full bloom, an ornamental cherry tree branch extends out over a moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. The flowering cherry tree, or sakura, is one of the most exalted flowering plants in Japan, where the blossoms' short but beautiful blooming time is a symbol for the evanescence of human life.